Deadly Car Crash at Beijing's Tiananmen Square

Chinese police say three people are dead after the sports utility vehicle they were riding in crashed into an entrance at Beijing's Tiananmen Square and burst into flames.

China's official Xinhua newspaper says at least 11 people were injured when the vehicle veered into a large crowd at Tiananmen Gate before it crashed Monday. Police evacuated the area immediately after the crash, and closed the area as emergency personnel responded to the scene.

Tiananmen Square is the scene of the 1989 student-led pro-democracy protest that ended in a bloody crackdown by Chinese authorities. It is surrounded by the Great Hall of the People, the seat of China's parliament, and the mausoleum that holds the remains of Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist China.